I told you all last fall that, as spring approached and got into full swing, I would be posting a lot more about beekeeping and bees.  As such, spring is here and we have lots to get ready to do!

For all you bee trappers out there, it’s about time to start getting your traps out.  There are a couple really good websites out there which give you instructions on how to build a trap and what to use as bait, if you are new to the feral bee trapping game.  I found this site that seems to be really informative and comes with building plans for a trap.  Catching bee swarms or trapping them is something I am new to, so I will be really interested to see how effective the traps are when I set them out around the Priddy Acres farm. It’s also time to make sure your bees have sufficient food stores.

Depending on what the weather looks like where you are, we are nearing the time where the bees will start going out and foraging for food.  We are, however, on the tail end of winter and their honey supply may be getting low or they may be out entirely.  When weather permits, you should be checking into your hives and making sure that there is enough left to get them through.  If it appears they are getting low, it is a good time to think about getting some fondant in there.  If the weather is still a little chilly and/or rainy, they won’t want to go out/up for some sugar syrup, so it may be a little early for that.  As always, Priddy Acres has products for those who may be “cooking impaired” (or just don’t want to do it) for sale on our products page (shameless plug!).  However you get them fed; make sure they don’t starve to death.  No one wants to come out to a hive full of dead bees. So, what about those who are getting ready for their first hive or adding more hives?

Well, it’s time for you to get those supers put together and painted.  Most people don’t like the smell of fresh paint in their house.  The same goes for bees.  Ideally, you should have this done before April, but as we are in the last day of April you might want to get to that this weekend.  Additionally, if you are building your own, they probably don’t like that fresh cut wood smell in their house either (at least, that’s what I read here). According to that site, you can rub the inside of the box(s) down with propolis (the sticky stuff the bees use to fill gaps in their hive) and I would imagine a little beeswax will also help if you don’t have any propolis on hand.  Michelle got our new hives all put together and painted over the last few weeks, so we are ready for our five boxes of bees when they arrive.  The unusually cold and wet winter here in Oregon has caused GloryBee to push their “Bee Weekend” event out until April 21^st (was the 6^th), so we will have to wait a few more weeks to get them.  Even so, we have been getting ready for them for quite some time.  If you have frames with wax still in them and are planning to use those frames in a hive, you may also want to consider freezing the frame for a week or so before putting it in there to kill any beetles, mites, or wax moths (or eggs from them) that may be present.  I’m starting to get really excited about this year’s bees.  In addition to the bees, it’s time to start the gardening!

Last year, we had an abysmal gardening experience.  We didn’t grow any seedlings because we got a late start (i.e. we just bought the property) and we were new to it.  When we planted the seeds, we had a terrible rain storm the next day which washed the seeds all over the place, so it was hard to tell what was a weed and what was something we planted.  Even so, we had a lot of good produce come out of that garden…at least, that produce which wasn’t eaten by that pesky deer. We had lots of kale, tomatoes, lettuce, and broccoli.  This year, we are attempting some strategies I found on the internet (human hair around the garden – the human smell deters them, Irish Spring soap in a sock hanging from a stick – they don’t like the smell, etc.).  I’ll let you know if it works.  Michelle also started a bunch of seedlings in the house, which we planted in the cardboard-ish egg cartons we collected through the winter.  They have all sprouted and are looking great!  I am hoping that, since we will be able to actually just cut the egg carton cup out and plant it, that the seedlings will be able to withstand the rain storms that are common in an Oregon spring.  Tilling the field may get a little weird, because the ground is still pretty wet, but I am hoping that a few days of no rain will give me the time I need to get the top few inches turned over (and mow the property). We’ll see how it goes.

I would like to take a second to thank everyone who visits the site, reads my blogs, and buys our products.  It has been a year since starting up this website and we went from getting zero to five views in the early months, to getting over 100 consistently (200 this month), and are getting regular views from the US, Canada, and Australia (with a few views each month from several other countries).  I am hoping to expand that viewership and continue to provide everyone with informative literary masterpieces (or a super flop that is mildly entertaining)!  Whatever your reason for reading, I appreciate it.  When I get home tonight, I’ll raise a cold beverage (ya…it’s a beer) to all of you (concurrently, not consecutively).  Here’s to all you awesome inquisitive minds, farmers, beekeepers, and blacksmiths!

Beekeepers, here are our newest products available for direct order, via our contact page, or from Amazon via our products page:

Sweet B Concentrated Invert Sugar Syrup is a great way to help your new hive get established or get a hive through the spring, summer, and fall if nectar flows get low. It is made using the exact same all natural ingredients as our Sweet B Fondant and is an easy way to keep your bees happy and productive through the warm brood rearing seasons.  Simply add water to the syrup and place into a feeder.  No mess, no hot days in the kitchen, and no heading to the supermarket to find the right ingredients!